BVI reports total confirmed zika cases now 25

The ministry of health and social development has reported 25 confirmed cases of zika in the British Virgin Islands as of September 27.

Medical officer of health, Dr Ronald Georges, said in a statement, “As of today September 27 we are confirming 25 cases of zika in the territory. These cases have been confirmed by PCR testing at Quest Diagnostics in Puerto Rico and Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad.”

In speaking about prevention of the disease, Georges said, “Prevention of zika is very similar to prevention of chikungunya and dengue virus transmission. The main focus is the consistent destruction and removal of potential breeding sites for mosquitoes. This is a multi-pronged approach consisting of consistent work by the vector control team, community mobilisation and behaviour change.”

The vector control unit of the environmental health division continues to carry out regular inspections in areas that are known to be high-risk areas for mosquito transmissions and responds to the premises of reported cases within 24 to 48 hours.